Dreams
by danrdarrenc
Summary: What happens when Harry and Draco are required to take a Dream Potion for homework? Harry/Draco slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Harry Potter was lying on his back on his four-poster bed in the seventh year boys' dormitory of Gryffindor Tower. It was well past midnight and his roommates – Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas – were all fast asleep. Harry, however, was too busy rehashing the day's events to let his brain relax. The usual things had happened like his casting of the _Muffliato _charm in Transfiguration class so that he, Ron, and a reluctant Hermione could talk to each other without being overheard and McGonagall setting him extra homework because he could not perform the spell properly when she had asked him to demonstrate. But those things were not what was disturbing him. What was really causing him trouble was Ginny and how he felt about her. He had denied for years that he had anything other than elder-brother feelings for her and, finally, last year they had kissed for the first time and officially started dating. At the beginning he had felt exhilarated whenever he was around Ginny and had wanted to spend every waking moment with her. But over the last few weeks he had found himself losing interest in the relationship and stayed with Ginny out of an obligation and fear that their friendship would die with their romance. When he kissed Ginny now, though he enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his, he no longer felt as he had when first they had started kissing: thrilled, flushed, heart-racing, they two were the only ones in the world. And what was more, he had found himself staring at Draco Malfoy in Defense Against the Dark Arts earlier today. This memory was what was disconcerting him most. Why the _hell_ had he been staring at Malfoy? He absolutely _hated _Malfoy.

Harry turned over onto his side and faced the curtains which blocked from view the four-poster bed that he knew was Ron's. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, clear his brain of the troubling things that had happened over the course of the day. Slowly, a fitful and restless sleep overcame him.

An hour later, or so it seemed to Harry, he was awoken rudely and abruptly by Ron.

"Wake up, mate. Time to get up if you don't want to be late for Slughorn."

"Right. Yeah. We shouldn't be late for class," Harry said, rolling out of bed, still thinking about the affairs of the day before and hoping against hope that nothing of the sort would happen today. He also thought about the dream that he had had: he and Malfoy had been in a compromising position. He was devoutly thankful that Ron could perform neither Occlumency nor Legilimancy.

"Harry? Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said quickly. "Why?"

"You had a worried look on your face."

"Worried? Why would I be worried?" Harry asked and walked out of the dormitory.

"I don't know. I was just asking. Chill," Ron said, following room into the down the stairs and into the common room.

"Hello," said Ginny who met them in the common room with Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend and Harry's other best friend. "Shall we go down to breakfast?"

"Yes. I'm starving," said Ron taking Hermione's hand. Harry reluctantly followed suit and took Ginny by the hand.

Two minutes later the four friends were walking into the Great Hall ready for breakfast. The Gryffindor House table was the last in the Hall and they had to walk by the other three to get to it. As they passed the Slytherin House table, Harry's eyes met Draco Malfoy's. Harry suddenly did not feel very well and did not want to stay in the Great Hall.

"Guys, I'm not very hungry anymore. I think I'll just go back to the common room and wait for you to finish," Harry said, stopping and letting go of Ginny's hand.

"Harry, you're always hungry in the morning," Ginny said.

"Yeah. I know. But I don't really feel like eating at the moment."

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just not really into eating right now. I'll see you guys later." He turned and walked out of the Great Hall, carefully avoiding looking at the Slytherin table.

Back in the common room, Harry sat down in his favorite armchair by the fire. He did not know what was wrong with him. Why had he suddenly lost all appetite when he had locked eyes with Malfoy? Was it because there was no smirk on Malfoy's face? Or because there was no hatred in his eyes? These disturbing thoughts flashed through Harry's head and he did not notice when his two friends and sister walked into the common room.

"Harry, it's time for class," Ginny said. "I have Hagrid, but you guys have Potions and you don't want to be late even though Slughorn is in love with you." She smirked, kissed Harry despite the scowl on his face, and walked out of the common room.

"Ginny's right. We should get going," Hermione said. Harry pulled himself out of the armchair and followed Hermione and Ron out of Gryffindor Tower and to the dungeons where Potions classes were held.

When the three friends reached the dungeons they found a queue of students outside the classroom. There were not many there for not many students had gone onto N.E.W.T level potions. One person that had advanced was Draco Malfoy. He was standing, arrogant as ever, in front of the door waiting for Slughorn to allow entrance. Harry took notice of the way Draco's hair was gracefully slicked back and how well it suited his personality. Harry was pulled out of his reverie when the door to the Potions classroom swung open and Slughorn came through the door.

"Please come in," Slughorn told the class genially. "Harry, m'boy," Slughorn acknowledged as Harry walked past him into the classroom.

"Hello, sir," Harry responded politely, though still lost in his own thoughts, and sat at his usual table with Ron, Hermione, and Ernie Macmillan.

"Alright, class. Today we will be making Dream potions. Can anyone – Miss Granger?" Slughorn said, seeing Hermione's hand fly into the air before he had finished his question.

"A Dream potion ensures that the drinker will have a dream and will remember it the morning after. However, the person cannot create their dream; the potion forms the dream around the person's subconscious," Hermione answered at top speed.

"Correct, of course." Slughorn smiled. "Ten points to Gryffindor." Ron put his arm proudly around Hermione' shoulders and Harry smiled weakly trying his hardest to not glance in Malfoy's direction.

"Today you will each attempt to make your own Dream potion. Whether you succeed or not, I will be giving you each a vial of the potion at the end of class," Slughorn said, smiling.

"Why will we each be given a potion? Some of us like a dreamless sleep," Malfoy drawled. Despite the fact that Slughorn was a Slytherin and head of the house, Malfoy had given up on Potions when Snape was transferred to Defense Against the Dark Arts and he no longer got preferential treatment.

"Because you will each take the potion tonight, Mr. Malfoy, and you will write me a summary of the dream you have. It will be handed into me next time we meet," Slughorn said, frowning a little at Malfoy's rudeness.

Harry began to panic. Last night he had had a dream about him and Malfoy in a very disturbing situation. He did not want to risk it happening again and having to write it down for homework.

"Sir?" Harry raised his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?" Slughorn looked at him, surprised. Ron did not usually ask him questions.

"Do we have to do take the potion? I mean, why does it matter what we dream?" Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, a little confused. That kind of question was something that Malfoy would have asked, not him.

"It is part of the class, Harry," Slughorn said genially. "Now, I want you all to open to page 150 and begin to make your Dream potions."

"Who cares if we have to document a dream? It's not like they are about making out with Malfoy or something really disturbing like that, right?" Ron said to Harry.

"Right," Harry said weakly, his heart thumping madly, and started to work on his potion.

An hour later Slughorn called, "Time's up!" He strolled around the classroom examining the students' potions. First he went to the Slytherin table and found nothing impressive. Next he moved to the table where the four Ravenclaws sat and gave a few appreciative nods. Finally, Slughorn arrived at the table at which Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ernie sat. Ernie and Ron's potions were not too good, Harry's was little better, and Hermione's got a huge, enthusiastic grin from Slughorn. Hermione had become a star at Potions again when Harry had given up using the Half-Blood Prince version of _Advanced Potion-Making._ He had left it in the Room of Requirement where he had hidden it from Snape and it had burned in the Fiendfyre that Crabbe had conjured when Harry, Ron, and Hermione had tried to retrieve the next to last of Voldemort's Horcruxes the previous year.

"Excellent, Miss Granger. Another ten points to Gryffindor. And you may use your own potion tonight for your homework. As for the rest of you, come, come. Here I have a vial for each of you containing the correctly brewed potion." The class lined up in front of Slughorn's desk to receive their vials of Dream potion. Malfoy scowled as he took his bottle and Harry obtained his reluctantly.

As he turned to return to his table and pack up his things, Harry's hand accidently brushed against Malfoy's. Harry's heart skipped a beat. Harry's eyes darted to Malfoy's face which wore its usual scowl. But in Malfoy's eyes Harry saw what he had seen in them that morning at breakfast: kindness and intrigue. The next moment Malfoy was back at the table with his Slytherin friends and was packing up his things. Harry moved silently back to his own table and put away his cauldron and Potions book.

When Harry returned to the common room a half hour after dinner Ron and Hermione were doing their homework. Both looked up when Harry walked through the portrait hole.

"What happened to you, Harry? You were right behind us leaving the Great Hall and then you disappeared," Hermione said.

"I needed to talk a walk."

"Everything alright, mate?" Ron asked, a little concerned.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I, er, think I'll go to bed," Harry said walking to the staircase that led to the dormitories.

"Don't forget to take the Dream potion!" Hermione said as Harry's robes disappeared behind the wall.

Once inside the boys' dormitory, Harry began to undress. He took off his robe and tie and threw them into the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out a pair of pajamas. He replaced his uniform pants with his pajama bottoms and his white button down shirt with the pajama top. Harry took out of his school bag the little vial of Dream potion that Slughorn had given him earlier.

"I guess I have to do this," Harry said to himself. He uncorked the bottle and downed the potion in one swig. "Hope for the best." Harry lay himself under the covers and fell to sleep.

_It was around nine o'clock and the annual Yule Ball was getting under way. Harry was standing in the boys' dormitory of Gryffindor Tower examining in the mirror how he looked._

_Ron Weasley walked into the room and said, "Are you ready to go, Harry? I know that you don't have a date because you broke up with Ginny, but Hermione is waiting for me."_

_"I'm coming," Harry said, taking one last look at himself in the mirror._

_Harry, Ron, and Hermione, whom Ron had met in the common room, walked out of the Gryffindor portrait hole and down the stairs to the Great Hall. _

_The Great Hall was decorated beautifully with Hagrid's usual twelve Christmas trees, mistletoe, little fairies flying around giving off some light, and enchanted snow falling from the enchanted ceiling, never quite reaching the ground or people. The Weird Sisters were set up on the stage like always, ready to play all of the favorite songs of the students. Harry, Ron, and Hermione found a table near the wall where the Head Table was usually positioned at mealtime. Hermione ran off to say hello to Luna Lovegood who was at the dance with Neville Longbottom. Ron went to get punch for he and Hermione, who would drink hers when she was done conversing with her friend. Harry sat down at the table and watched Ginny walk into the Great Hall on the arm of Dean Thomas. Harry scowled as he saw Ginny walk up to Hermione and Luna. He was not jealous of Dean for it was he who had broken up with Ginny, but it was still odd to see her on a date with Dean, especially after Ginny and Dean had broken up two years ago. Ron came back to the table with two glasses of punch._

_"Did you see who Ginny came with," Ron asked his friend._

_"Yeah, I saw. What in the world would possess Ginny to come to the Ball with Dean?" Ron said seriously._

_"They used to go out," Harry pointed out._

_"True." Ron sat down._

_"So what are you going to do without a date? Sit here all night sulking like you did four years ago when Cho came with Diggory?" Ron asked._

_"No," Harry retorted._

"_Good. I suggest that you find some poor girl that doesn't have a date tonight and ask her to dance."_

"_Why don't you take your own advice," Hermione said, coming over to the table and holding out her hand as a slow song began to play._

_"Okay then," Ron said, taking Hermione's hand and leading her onto the dance floor._

_"Maybe I should find someone to dance with," Harry said to himself. He got up from his chair and began to look around to see if anyone was sitting alone. At a table on the other end of the room, someone was sitting alone: Draco Malfoy. It surprised Harry that Draco did not have a date for the Ball; he thought for sure that Malfoy would have come with Pansy Parkinson. _

_Suddenly a thought occurred to Harry, a crazy and unthinkable one. And he did not know what possessed him to follow his thought, but Harry began to move towards the table at which Malfoy sat. No one noticed him walking towards the table and, despite the fact that his heart beat more wildly with every step he took and the misgivings going on in his head, Harry's pace picked up the closer he got to Malfoy's table. Suddenly he was standing in front of Malfoy with his hand held out to him. Malfoy looked up into Harry's face; Harry thought that without a doubt there would be loathing there. But instead Harry found curiosity._

_Bucking up all the courage he could muster, Harry asked, "Will you dance with me?" _

_"I would love to," Malfoy said, taking Harry's outstretched hand._

_Surprised, but delighted, Harry led Malfoy onto the dance floor. Now heads started to turn and mouths started to move, friends whispering to friends, as the most unlikely pair in the world made their way to the center of the Great Hall. As Malfoy and Harry passed Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Dean, the two couples stopped dancing and rushed to stand next to each other. Luna and Neville joined them within the minute; Seamus followed suit. Harry's seven friends' mouths opened in shock and terror as Harry turned around, took Malfoy in his arms, and began to revolve on the spot to the music. They were the only ones that moved. Everyone else in the Great Hall, professors included, stopped all that they were doing to watch the Slytherin and Gryffindor dance together. _

_Harry and Malfoy did not seem to notice what was happening around them, but only what was taking place between the two of them. Malfoy pulled himself closer to Harry and tightened his grip on Harry's neck. Harry's arms closed more tightly around Malfoy's waist as they continued to turn on the spot. Slowly Malfoy leaned in to Harry's ear and whispered, "I love you, Harry."_

_Harry smiled and whispered back, "I love you, too, Draco."_

In the Gryffindor common room, Harry awoke screaming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Next morning, Harry came down the stairs into the common room to find Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all waiting for him.

"Did you sleep well, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Harry replied.

"How was the dream? Did you dream anything of importance?" Ron asked his friend.

"Er, yeah. But I don't know if I want to hand in my summary. It was a kind of embarrassing dream," Harry said, leading his friends to the portrait hole.

"Harry, you have to hand it in. It's required," Hermione said.

"Can't I just make something up?"

"No!" Hermione reprimanded.

"It can't be that bad, mate," Ron said, patting Harry on the back.

"Yeah. I guess not," Harry said and walked into the Great Hall.

Harry did not look at the Slytherin table as he walked past it and was at the Gryffindor one so quickly that his girlfriend and two friends had just entered the Great Hall when he sat down on the bench and began to eat.

"Harry, why did you run?" Ginny said, as she, Ron, and Hermione finally approached the Gryffindor table.

"Were you really that hungry?" Ron said, sitting down next to Harry.

"Yes," Harry said, picking up a stack of pancakes.

"Are you sure that's all it is, Harry?" Ginny asked. "You seem pretty shaken up about your dream last night."

"I was just hungry, Ginny," Harry snapped at his girlfriend.

"What's going on in the Entrance Hall?" Ron asked, turning his head. There was commotion and noise filtering into the Great Hall from the corridor outside. Other heads in the Great Hall had started to turn towards the chaos outside. Students filed out of the Great Hall to see what was happening in the Entrance Hall; the teachers had not yet realized that something was wrong. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were at the front of the line and could see very clearly what was going on. Harry's stomach clenched, while his heart began to pound as he realized what was taking place: Malfoy was being attacked by his fellow Slytherins.

"What's this, Malfoy? Huh?" screamed Blaise Zabini, kicking Malfoy.

"Its homework," Malfoy spat before he was punched again by Gregory Goyle. Both he and Vincent Crabbe had seemed to stop being Malfoy's bodyguards.

"Homework! The Dream potion homework? The one where the dream is your subconscious? Amazing, Draco! So now we see the real you!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked.

"You love that perfect little hero Potter, don't you? You want to really dance with Potter, don't you?" Zabini screamed at Malfoy. Beside Harry, Ginny froze.

"Answer me!" Zabini kneed Malfoy in the stomach again.

"Yes," Malfoy whimpered.

"Louder!" Zabini ordered giving Malfoy a kick again. "I don't think everyone heard."

"Yes. Yes. Yes, I am in love with Harry Potter. Okay!" Malfoy screamed at Zabini.

The crowd around the Slytherins fell deathly silent. No one moved. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's eyes flashed to Harry whose heart was thumping madly.

Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe all began to laugh, kick, punch, and assault Draco Malfoy. The professors still had not realized that there was a commotion in the Entrance Hall and were still eating in the Great Hall. Harry could not stand to see Malfoy going through what he was.

"STOP IT!" Harry shouted at the Slytherins, pulling out his wand and pointing it at them threateningly. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all stood there, amazed and transfixed. The Slytherins were caught so off guard that they actually stopped attacking Malfoy.

"So, Potter, are you prepared to take what's been coming to you and your little boyfriend here?" Zabini taunted.

"Yeah, I am," Harry said, stepping forward.

"Harry, please, think about this," Hermione said, despite his shock and incomprehension.

Harry did not seem to hear his friend. Zabini kicked Malfoy again.

"Leave him alone, Zabini!" Harry said, coming even closer to Malfoy.

"Come one step closer, Potter, and you'll be right there with him on the floor."

"So be it," Harry said, now a step away from the whimpering Malfoy.

"What is going on here?" a commanding voice asked from outside the group. The crowd parted to reveal Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.

"The Slytherins were assaulting Malfoy, Professor," Hermione said from the innermost ring of the students.

"And why were you attacking Mr. Malfoy, Zabini?"

"Because – Because…" Zabini stuttered.

"Because they read Draco's homework and they didn't like what it said," Harry said. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny noticed the use of Malfoy's first name; Malfoy, too, had noticed for his head has risen at the sound of his name.

"May I see the homework?" McGonagall asked Malfoy.

Slowly, Malfoy nodded his head and closed his eyes. McGonagall walked over to Blaise Zabini and took the piece of parchment from his hand. Quickly and without conveying any emotion she read through what was written on the paper. When she was finished, McGonagall said to the crowd, "Please go to class, students. You are done here. Slytherins, you are to stay here. You too, Mr. Potter."

When the crowd had dispersed, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny included, McGonagall turned to the Slytherins and said, "I will be having a chat with Professor Slughorn. You will all receive a week of detention with me. My office every night, eight o'clock. You may go." She watched the Slytherins leave. "Here is your homework back, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter, please take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing, tell Madam Pomfrey what happened, and then return to class." McGonagall turned and left Harry and Malfoy alone.

"Are you alright," Harry said to Malfoy who looked at Harry with pure loathing. "Right. Sorry. Bad question. Can I help you get to the hospital wing?" Harry extended a hand to Malfoy just as he had in the dream.

"Sure," Malfoy said, taking Harry's outstretched hand. When their hands met, both hearts started beating uncontrollably. Gingerly, Malfoy stood up. He almost fell again, so he grabbed onto Harry's arm for support.

"Put your arm around my neck and I will help you walk," Harry coaxed.

"Why are you doing this, Harry?" Draco croaked. "I would think that you would have been as far away from me as possible."

"I had the same dream as you did last night, Draco," Harry admitted.

Malfoy looked Harry in the eyes and could tell that he was telling the truth.

"Do your friends know?"

"Not yet. But I think I need to tell. Today. When I get to class I will tell them. But we need to get you to Madam Pomfrey first," Harry said.

"Thank you, Harry," Malfoy said.

"No problem."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Fifteen minutes later, Harry walked into Transfiguration and sat down in the chair next to Ron's. Eyes watched Harry as he took his books out of his bag and settled in. When McGonagall's back was turned, Harry scribbled on Ron's book, _We need to talk as soon as possible. With Ginny and Hermione, too. _Ron nodded his head.

After class, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny walked up to the Gryffindor common room in silence. They had a break before Herbology, so they decided to talk. Once through the portrait hole, Ginny dropped her bags and sat in the armchair by the fireplace. Ron pulled up a chair from the table by the window and sat down. Hermione sat on the floor with her back leaning against Ron's legs. They all waited with bated breath for Harry to say something.

"My dream last night was about Malfoy. I was dancing with him and we both admitted that we loved each other," Harry said in a rush because he knew he would lose his nerve if he went any slower. "It was the same kind of dream that Malfoy had."

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny just stared at him.

"You're joking, right?" Ron said finally.

"No, I'm not, Ron. I love Malfoy." Harry was breathing very heavily.

"How long have you known?" Ginny asked very weakly. She had very rare tears in her eyes and Harry noticed.

"Not long. I only just realized that I am in love with him last night after the dream. For the past few weeks I have felt all nervous around Draco and my heart stops every time he looks at me. I have felt like I was kissing a relative the last few weeks that I was with you, Ginny. I am very sorry. Please don't cry," Harry added, as tears started to fall down Ginny's cheeks. Hermione stood up and went over to comfort Ginny.

"So, what now?" Ron asked.

"Well, I want to be with Draco," Harry said.

"Which means, what?" Ginny said, still holding Harry.

"We need to accept that Malfoy will be a part of our life and we should get to know him," Hermione said. "We are better people than the Slytherins are and we will respect the wishes of our friend whether we like the person or not. True friends don't turn their backs on a friend just because they don't like who they are dating."

"Fair enough," Ron said. "Ginny, are you in?"

"Ginny, I don't want to ruin our friendship because of this. You are still my friend and Ron's sister," Harry said, looking Ginny in the eyes.

"I suppose that we can still be friends. It might just take me a while to let go. Is that okay, Harry?"

"Yes." Harry gave Ginny a big hug.

"What about Neville and Luna? Can we tell them? They are our friends too," Hermione said.

"Yeah. I guess you can, Ginny," Harry said to Ginny.

"I'm glad that we had this talk, Harry," Hermione said. "But we really need to go. We will be late for Herbology." Hermione picked up her bag. Harry, Ginny, and Ron did the same. The four walked out of the portrait hole together, Harry with a big smile on his face and a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Over the next couple of weeks, especially during winter vacation, Harry visited Malfoy in the hospital wing because Madam Pomfrey would not let Malfoy leave until she was absolutely certain that he was in perfect health and all of his wounds were completely healed. Some days Harry brought along Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all of whom were reluctant at first but were slowly adjusting to having Malfoy in their lives as someone other than an enemy. None of the Slytherins cared about Malfoy anymore; they considered him a blood-traitor. Even Pansy Parkinson had not visited Malfoy since his revelation.

The news that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were in love with each other was the talk of the school even after the post-Christmas break term began. Wherever students were, whether they were in the bathrooms, in the hallways, in the house common rooms and dormitories, or in the Great Hall eating their meals, all they talked about was the newest and most scandalous couple in the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry did not seem bothered by all the whispering and pointing; in fact, he seemed to thrive off of it. It was a change for Harry to be gossiped about for something that made him happy; it was usually about some Dark thing he had been involved in that the students were talking. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville walked around the castle with their heads held high. They did not care what the other students said about them for standing by Harry; he was their friend and brother and they had made a promise to him and themselves that they would not break; Seamus and Dean, too, were still friends with Harry and proud of it.

One Saturday two weeks into the second term, Malfoy was released from the hospital wing. He left the infirmary hand in hand with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny a few steps behind. Harry and Malfoy walked into the Great Hall for breakfast with their heads held high. As the five of them passed the Slytherin table, all of Malfoy's former friends hissed and sneered at him. It was clear that he could no longer sit with his house, so Harry, encouraged by Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, led Malfoy to the Gryffindor table where he was not welcomed enthusiastically, but more kindly than at the Slytherin table.

When they were done eating, Hermione, Ginny, and a reluctant Ron went off to the library to do their homework. Harry and Malfoy left the Great Hall and took a stroll around the grounds, despite the cold weather and snow. They shared life stories and took the time to learn about each other as thoroughly as possible; they had been enemies for so long that they did not want to start their relationship with any secrets or lies.

Harry and Malfoy continued to spend a lot of time together as the end of January came and went. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny saw Harry alone very rarely, but were not irritated by it. They understood that Harry and Malfoy needed to spend time together. After all, when Harry and Ginny had first started dating they had spent very little time without the other. Malfoy had grown on Harry's three friends and they really started to accept that he would have to be a part of their lives.

As Valentine's Day approached, Harry began to panic. He did not know what to do. He had never before spent a Valentine's Day with someone about whom he really cared. The day before, Harry came to Ron for advice.

"So what do you think I should do for Draco?"

"Get him a card and spend the day with him," Ron said, not looking up from the Defense Against the Dark Arts book that he was examining.

"You think that's enough?"

"It's what I do for Hermione. Plus some flowers and Chocolate Cauldrons, but I don't know if you want to do that for Malfoy."

"Can you please stop calling him Malfoy and call him Draco?" Harry asked. He had already requested this of his friends a few weeks ago, but they all seemed to be having trouble following it.

"Eventually."

"Fine. So I'll get Draco a card."

The next morning, which happened to be Saturday, Harry found at the foot of his bed a Valentine's card. It had been delivered in the middle of the night by the house-elves. Harry picked up the heart-shaped card and read:

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Valentine's Day!_

_Meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower at eight o'clock tonight._

_Love yours truly,_

_Draco_

Harry smiled to himself and put the card in his trunk. He opened the curtains on his four-poster bed and saw Ron, fully dressed, eating a box of not-spiked-with-Love-Potion Chocolate Cauldrons and reading a card, both of which had been sent to him by Hermione.

"Good morning, Ron," Harry said, getting dressed.

"Good morning, Harry," Ron said through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Shall we go down to breakfast?"

"Yeah. I'm hungry."

"You just ate half a box of Chocolate Cauldrons," Harry said, amazed.

"So?" Ron said as the two of them walked out of the dormitory.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ron," Hermione said when he and Harry entered the common room. She gave Ron a kiss.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, feeling a little guilty.

"She's already at breakfast. She went down with Dean."

"Dean?" Harry asked as the three of them left the common room through the portrait hole.

"Yes. They have their first date tonight," Hermione said.

"Ginny and Dean. They're going out again?" Harry said. Hermione nodded.

Sure enough, when Ron, Harry, and Hermione got to the Gryffindor table Ginny was sitting with Dean. Ron and Hermione sat down next to Dean; Harry saw Malfoy sitting at the Slytherin table. He looked worried and anxious, afraid that he would be attacked again. Despite still sleeping in the Slytherin dormitories, Malfoy usually ate meals with the Gryffindors, so seeing Malfoy with the Slytherins was odd for Harry. He figured that Malfoy did not want to make contact with him until their meeting on the Astronomy Tower. Harry sat down next to Ron and began to eat.

Harry wanted very much for eight o'clock to come and, so, the day went by very slowly. Ron and Hermione spent the day together, as did Ginny and Dean. Harry was left to himself most of the time because he did not want to interrupt his friends. Slowly, morning turned to afternoon and afternoon to night and, finally, a quarter to eight had arrived.

Harry dressed in his best clothes, said goodbye to his four friends who were playing team Wizard Chess, Ron and Hermione against Ginny and Dean, and exited the common room. Harry walked briskly towards the Astronomy Tower; he did not bring his invisibility cloak with him and would not be in trouble if he were caught because fifth years and above were allowed to be out past nine, but he wanted to get there as quickly as he could.

When Harry arrived on top of the Astronomy Tower it was still five minutes to eight. Malfoy was not there yet. Harry looked up at the sky and saw thousands of stars and the moon all glowing brightly.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a drawling voice said, making Harry jump.

Harry turned to see Malfoy wearing dress pants and a dress shirt, his hair slicked back.

"I like to come up here sometimes to think about things," Malfoy said, walking over to the edge of the tower.

"Even after the incident of two years ago? With Dumbledore and Snape?" Harry asked, looking at Malfoy.

"Yes. I still think it's the most beautiful and calmest place in the castle up here," Malfoy said, still staring at the night sky.

"It really is peaceful up here," Harry said, leaning against the wall.

"Yes. But I know something that would make it even more peaceful," Malfoy said, looking at Harry.

"What?"

"Music."

"But we don't have a radio."

Malfoy pulled out his wand and waved it once in the air. A radio appeared out of nowhere and softly began to play music. Malfoy held out his hand to Harry and said, "May I have this dance?"

Harry took Malfoy's outstretched hand and said, "Of course."

Harry followed Malfoy out into the middle of the Astronomy Tower and wrapped his arms around Malfoy's neck, while Malfoy's arms encircled his waist. They began to revolve slowly on the spot as the music continued to filter out of the radio. Harry leaned in closer to Malfoy and whispered in his ear,

"Thank you for the card. I love you."

"I love you, too," Draco whispered back.

They stopped dancing and looked at each other. Their eyes were locked on each other's for a few seconds. Slowly, their heads leaned in close and their lips met in the gentlest, yet most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced.


End file.
